Chronograph



May 10, 1955 P R. VOGEL 2,707,862

CHRONOGRAPH Filed Dec. 1l, 1955 United States Patent M CHRONOGRAPH Paul Ren Vogel, Geneva, Switzerland,

Fabrique Solvil des Montres Geneva, Switzerland, a firm Application December 11, 1953, Serial No. 397,691

Claims priority, application Switzerland September 23, 1953 Claims. (Cl. Sii-74) assigner to Paul Ditisheim S. A.,

T he'present invention has for its object a chronograph including a seconds hand and a follower hand. The novel feature of the invention consists in that it includesthree push buttons of which the first serves for starting and stopping the seconds hand, the second for returning the hand to zero and the third for controlling the follower hand while an arcuate or annular member revolubly fitted over the casing is adapted to hold either one or two of the three push buttons simultaneously against actuation so as to prevent any erroneous operation Ihave illustrated by way of example in accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment ot' my invention.

in said drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of the chronograph;

Fig. 2 is a plan vview of the chronograph as -seen from above.

The chronograph illustrated is provided with a seconds hand 11 and with a follower hand 2, said hands being mounted coaxially at the center of a dial which latter carries a concentric scale of seconds shown at 3, an annular eccentric scale of minutes forming the minute totalizer and anannular eccentric scale h of hours forming the hour totalizer.

The starting and the stopping of the seconds hand 1 are ensured by afirst push button 4 provided with the winding knob 5 at its end projecting outside the casing 6 of the chronograph. Said push button 4 carries on' the inside of the winding knob 5 a collar 7 defining with the inner surface of said'knob a groove which serves for abutment and locking purposes as will be disclosed hereinafter.

To the right hand side and to the left hand side of the first push button 4, the chronograph is provided respectively with a secondpush button 8 controlling the return to zero of the seconds hand 1 and of the follower hand 2, and lwith a third push button 9 controllingthe starting and stopping of the follower hand 2. The section of the first push button 4" projecting beyond the casing is longer than the projecting parts of the two other push buttons 8 and 9, the radial length of the two latter push buttons being equal.

The bottom of the casing 6 is provided outside the I side wall of the casing with an annular groove 1I inside which may revolve, against slight friction, a locking ring 12 held axially of the casing by means that have not been illustrated. Said ring 12 extending over the ends of the lateral push buttons 8 and 9 is provided with a longitudinal arcuate cut or slot 13 through which the first push button 4 projects and the angular size of which is such that two successive push knobs at the utmost are exposed simultaneously to View.

When the ring occupies its right-hand position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a projection 14 formed on the inside of said ring engages an abutment screw 15 carried by the casing bottom 10 and the slot 13 in the ring leaves the first push button 4 uncovered and uncovers the second push button 8. It is consequently possible to act on the push buttons 4 and 8 so as to release the seconds 2,707,852 Patented May 10, 1955 ICC hand 1, to stop it and to return it to zero. It it is desired now to prevent any untimely return to zero, it is sucient to position the ring 12 in an intermediate location for which only the first push button 4 is uncovered while the solid section of the ring conceals both the second and the third push buttons 8 and 9, the solid section of the ring assuming a radius of curvature that is slightly larger than the maximum radius assumed byV the projecting parts of the push buttons 8 and 9. Lastly,-

when the ring 12 occupies its extreme left hand position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and symmetrical of that illustrated in solid lines with reference to the push button 4, the right hand edge 13 of the cut or slot 13 abuts against the bottom of the locking groove in the first push button 4 and consequently, for this position of the ring, only the third push button controlling the follower hand is released for operation.

What l claim is:

l. In a chronograph, the combination of a seconds hand, a follower hand, a casing inside which said hands are coaxially mounted, three push buttons projecting radially outside the casing and adapted to control respectively the starting and the stopping of the seconds hand, the return of both hands to zero and the starting and the stopping of the follower hand, an arcuate member revolubly fitted over the periphery of the casing and adapted to be shifted along a line reigstering with the location of the three push buttons on the casing, selectively into three positions, the arcuate member, when in the first position, releasing the first push button and preventing actuation of the two other push buttons, the arcuate member in its second position releasing the two rst push buttons and preventingactuation of the third push button and the arcuate member in its third position preventing actuation of the two first push-buttons and allowing operation of the third push button.

2. in a chronograph, the combination of a seconds hand, a follower hand, a casing inside which said hands are coaxially mounted, three push buttons projecting radially outside the casing, the first push button, located between the two other push buttons, includingk a stem, projecting substantially beyond'the periphery of the casing, and controlling the starting and the stopping of the seconds hand, the second and the third push button projecting to a lesser extent beyond the periphery of the casing and controlling respectively the return of both hands to zero and the starting and'stopping of the follower hand, and arcuate member revolubly fittedover the periphery of the casing and provided with a' longitudinal slot extending' over a line passing outside thersecond and the third push button, said'slot engaging the'stem of the first push button, said arcuate member being adapted to be shifted selectively into three positions, the first position being such that the slot extends to either side of the first push button to allow actuation of the latter while its ends are short of the two other push buttons to prevent their actuation, the second position being such that the slot extends to either side of the first and of the second push button to allow actuation thereof while stopping short of the third push button to prevent actuation of the latter, the third position of the arcuate member corresponding to engagement of the terminal edge of the slot with the stem of the first push button to hold the latter fast against actuation, the slot extending over the third push button to allow its actuation while the second push button is covered by the unslotted part of the arcuate member lying beyond the first push button with reference to the second push button.

3. In a chronograph, the combination of a seconds hand, a follower hand, a casing inside which said hands are coaxially mounted, three push buttons projecting radially outside the casing, the first push button, located between the two other push buttons, including a stem, provided with a notch at least on the side facing the second push button, and projecting substantially beyond the periphery of the casing and controlling the starting and the stopping of the seconds hand, the second and the third push button projecting to a lesser extent beyond the periphery of the casing and controlling respectively the return of both hands to zero and the starting and stopping of the follower hand, an arcuate member revolubly fitted over the periphery of the casing and provided with a longitudinal slot extending over a line passing outside the second and the third push button, said slot engaging the stem of the first push button, said arcuate member being adapted to be shifted selectively into three positions, the first position being such that the slot extends to either side of the first push button to allow actuation of the latter while its ends are short of the two other push buttons to prevent their actuation, the second position being such that the slot extends to either side of the first and of the second push button to allow actuation thereof while stopping short of the third push button to prevent actuation of the latter, the third position of the arcuate member corresponding to engagement of the terminal edge of the slot with the notch in the stem of the first push button to hold the latter fast against Y actuation, the slot extending over the third push button to allow its actuation while the second push button is covered by the unslotted part of the arcuate member beyond the first push button with reference to the second push button.

4. In a chronograph, the combination of a seconds hand, a follower hand, a casing inside which said hands are coaxially mounted, three push buttons projecting radially outside the casing, the first push button, located between the two other push buttons, including a stern,

provided with a notch at least on the side facing the second push button and projecting substantially beyond the periphery of the casing, and controlling the starting and the stopping of the seconds hand, hte second and the third push button projecting to a lesser extent beyond the periphery of the casing and controlling respectively the return of both hands to zero and the starting and stopping of the follower hand, an arcuate member revolubly fitted over the periphery of the casing and 'provided with a longitudinal slot extending over a dis- 4 such that the slot extends to either side of the first and of the second push button to allow actuation thereof while stopping short of the third push button to prevent actuation of the latter, the third position of the arcuate member corresponding to engagement of the terminal edge of the slot with the notch in the stem of the first push button to hold the latter fast against actuation, the slot extending over the first push button to allow its actuation while the second push button is covered by the unslotted part n of the arcuate member beyond the first push button with reference to the second push button.

5. In a chronograph, the combination of a seconds hand, a follower hand, a casing inside which said hands are coaxially mounted, three push buttons projecting radially outside the casing, the first push button, located between the two other push buttons, including a stem provided with a notch at least on the side facing the second push button and projecting substantially beyond the periphery of the casing and controlling the starting and the stopping of the seconds hand, the second and the third push button projecting to a lesser extent be yond the periphery of the casing and controlling respectively the return of both hands to zero and the starting and stopping of the follower hand, an arcuate member revolubly fitted over the periphery of the casing and provided with a longitudinal slot extending over a line passing outside the second and the third push button, said slot engaging the stem of the first push button, said arcuate member being adapted to be shifted selectively into three positions, the first position being such that the slot ex tends to either side of the first push button to allow actuation of the latter while its ends are short of the two other push buttons to prevent their actuation, the second position being such that the slot extends to either side of he first and of the second push button to allow actuation thereof while stopping short of the third push button to prevent actuation of the latter, the third position of the arcuate member corresponding to engagement of the terminal edge of the slot with the notch in the Stem of the first push button to hold the latter fast against actuation, the slot extending over the third push button to allow its actuation while the second push button is covered by the unslotted part of the arcuate member beyond the first push button with reference to the second push button, and cooperating stops carried by the casing and by the arcuate member and the engagement between which defines the second position of the arcuate mem ber,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,265,906 Guyot Dec. 9, i941 2,284,418 Guyot May 26, 1942 2,671,308 Ciana Mar. 9, 1954 2,679,135 Hanhart May 25, 1954 

